Semiconductor memory devices including a stress relief region

Abstract

Semiconductor memory devices are provided. A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell region and an insulator on a portion of the memory cell region. The semiconductor memory device includes a stress relief material that is in the insulator and is between the memory cell region and another region of the semiconductor memory device.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A semiconductor memory device comprising:
 a peripheral circuit structure on a substrate; 
 a semiconductor layer on the peripheral circuit structure; 
 a first and second stack structures spaced apart from each other in a first direction, each of the first and second stack structures including vertically stacked electrodes; 
 an interlayer insulating layer on the first and second stack structures; and 
 a stress relief structure in the interlayer insulating layer between the first and second stack structures, 
 wherein a lower surface of the stress relief structure is located at a lower vertical level than an upper surface of the semiconductor layer, and 
 wherein the stress relief structure has a width in the first direction that continuously decreases toward the lower surface of the stress relief structure. 
 
     
     
       2. The semiconductor memory device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first stack structure has a first stepped portion, 
 wherein the second stack structure has a second stepped portion facing the first stepped portion, and 
 wherein the stress relief structure is located between the first stepped portion and the second stepped portion. 
 
     
     
       3. The semiconductor memory device of  claim 1 , wherein an upper surface of the stress relief structure is located at a higher level than an upper surface of an uppermost electrode among the electrodes. 
     
     
       4. The semiconductor memory device of  claim 1 , further comprising contact plugs that extend through the stress relief structure and are connected to the peripheral circuit structure. 
     
     
       5. The semiconductor memory device of  claim 1 , wherein the stress relief structure includes a different material from the interlayer insulating layer. 
     
     
       6. The semiconductor memory device of  claim 1 , wherein the stress relief structure has a lower dielectric constant than the interlayer insulating layer. 
     
     
       7. The semiconductor memory device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the peripheral circuit structure comprises peripheral transistors and a lower insulating layer on the peripheral transistors, and 
 wherein the lower vertical level of the lower surface of the stress relief structure is lower than an upper surface of the lower insulating layer. 
 
     
     
       8. The semiconductor memory device of  claim 1 , further comprising a vertical semiconductor structure in the first stack structure,
 wherein the width of the stress relief structure is greater than a width of the vertical semiconductor structure in the first direction. 
 
     
     
       9. A semiconductor memory device comprising:
 a semiconductor layer on a substrate including a chip region and a stress relaxation region that are adjacent to each other in a first direction; 
 a peripheral circuit structure between the substrate and the semiconductor layer; 
 a stack structure including vertically stacked electrodes on the chip region; 
 a vertical semiconductor structure in the stack structure; 
 an interlayer insulating layer on the stack structure; and 
 a stress relief structure penetrating the interlayer insulating layer on the stress relaxation region, 
 wherein a lower surface of the stress relief structure is located at a lower vertical level than a lower surface of the interlayer insulating layer. 
 
     
     
       10. The semiconductor memory device of  claim 9 , wherein the stress relief structure has a width in the first direction that continuously decreases toward the lower surface of the stress relief structure. 
     
     
       11. The semiconductor memory device of  claim 9 , wherein an upper surface of the stress relief structure is located at a higher level than an upper surface of an uppermost electrode among the electrodes. 
     
     
       12. The semiconductor memory device of  claim 9 , further comprising contact plugs that extend through the stress relief structure and are connected to the peripheral circuit structure. 
     
     
       13. The semiconductor memory device of  claim 9 , wherein the stress relief structure includes a different material from the interlayer insulating layer. 
     
     
       14. The semiconductor memory device of  claim 9 , wherein the stress relief structure has a lower dielectric constant than the interlayer insulating layer. 
     
     
       15. The semiconductor memory device of  claim 9 ,
 wherein the peripheral circuit structure comprises peripheral transistors and a lower insulating layer on the peripheral transistors, and 
 wherein the lower vertical level of the lower surface of the stress relief structure is lower than an upper surface of the lower insulating layer. 
 
     
     
       16. A semiconductor memory device comprising:
 a semiconductor layer on a substrate including a chip region and a stress relaxation region that are adjacent to each other in a first direction; 
 a peripheral circuit structure between the substrate and the semiconductor layer; 
 a stack structure including vertically stacked electrodes on the chip region; 
 a vertical semiconductor structure in the stack structure; 
 an interlayer insulating layer on the stacked structure; 
 first contact plugs connected to the electrodes through the interlayer insulating layer on the chip region; and 
 a stress relief structure penetrating the interlayer insulating layer on the stress relaxation region, 
 wherein the stress relief structure has a width in the first direction that decreases with increasing distance from an upper surface of one of the first contact plugs, and 
 wherein the width of the stress relief structure is greater than a width of the vertical semiconductor structure in the first direction. 
 
     
     
       17. The semiconductor memory device of  claim 16 , further comprising second contact plugs that extend through the stress relief structure and are connected to the peripheral circuit structure. 
     
     
       18. The semiconductor memory device of  claim 16 , wherein the stack structure has a stepped portion located between the vertical semiconductor structure and the stress relief structure. 
     
     
       19. The semiconductor memory device of  claim 16 , wherein the stress relief structure has a lower dielectric constant than the interlayer insulating layer. 
     
     
       20. The semiconductor memory device of  claim 16 , wherein a lower surface of the stress relief structure is located at a lower vertical level than an upper surface of the semiconductor layer.